Report: Pelicans granted permission to interview Warriors' Gentry on Monday

That sound you hear is the offensive fantasy projections for Anthony Davis in 2015-16 going through the roof.

The New Orleans Pelicans have received permission to interview Alvin Gentry for their open head coaching vacancy, according to a report from Marc Stein of ESPN.

Gentry is an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors, who will kick off the Western Conference Finals against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday. An assistant still in the playoffs being interviewed for a head coaching job is not all that uncommon, and the Pelicans likely want to work quickly to fill the position ahead of free agency.

The interview is taking place Monday in San Francisco, with Pelicans general manager Dell Demps and president Mickey Loomis present, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.

The Pelicans fired Monty Williams earlier this month after losing in a four-game sweep to Gentry's Warriors.

Gentry's situation could become quite interesting from here. He's believed to be a front-runner for the Chicago Bulls' head coaching job, should they move on from Tom Thibodeau, who is, in turn, considered a favorite for the Pelicans' job. This could be gamesmanship on the part of the Pelicans, forcing Chicago's hand so they bail on their impending game of chicken with Thibodeau, freeing him up for New Orleans.

While Loomis is believed to favor Thibodeau for his no-nonsense approach, it's believed that Demps may prefer a coach that's less strong-willed after butting heads with Williams.

That's not to say Gentry himself wouldn't be a great candidate, because he would be. A very creative offensive mind, Gentry is well-respected as an offensive coordinator of sorts and owns a 335-370 record as a head coach over four stops. Gentry landing in New Orleans with a weapon as unique as Davis could be a great deal of fun, and his offensive creativity is how he's trying to sell himself to the Pelicans' brass, according to Wojnarowski.

The Pelicans have reportedly also made calls to Jeff Van Gundy and Scott Brooks.